Dukes Creek after the Big Winter Storm

by Landon Williams (the guy who gets to fish more than the law allows)

Did you survive Snowpocalypse 2016?! Hopefully so and were able to get out and enjoy the decent weather we had Sunday. I took advantage of some poor but probably warm soul’s no-show slot at Dukes creek yesterday afternoon and had a great day. Water was running at a normal winter flow but was very balmy with the recent winter weather. Still, fish have to eat and if you were persistent and patient, good fishing was one’s reward. I practiced what I always preach and found the Sun and the fishing was much improved for my angling trio compared to the poor reports I heard from the ice filled morning. Mop Flies took their fair share of fish from the others in my group but I did best with an 18 hares ear soft hackle trailed behind a small egg. Fish were hugging bottom and getting it in their face was key. My weight ranged anywhere from 3 BB split shot to two 3/0 water gremlins 

dep
ending on the depth and current speed of my fishing locale. Long fluorocarbon leaders were key to punching through current and delivering tasty morsels to the resident fish.

It was a fairly normal angling day for the winter time but believe it or not, I caught more fish on the soft hackle than I did anything else.  A slow deliberate raising/lowering of the rod at the end of the drift was deadly and even fooled a couple of nice sized “PHD” trout too! If you didn’t get outside yesterday and instead opted to watch Carolina’s clinic against the Cardinals or Peyton VS Brady, at least know that your opportunity was there!

See you on the creek!

Landon

Georgia's Delayed Harvest Streams Open Saturday November 1st

Fall Offers Great Georgia Trout Fishing Opportunities - Delayed Harvest Streams Open Nov. 1

Today's feature comes to us from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- Are trout streams calling you to go fish Georgia? Beautiful weather and fantastic scenery await you in the northern part of the state and beginning on November 1, fishing on five delayed harvest trout streams will open, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division.

Trout streams are designated either seasonal or year-round. "Five year-round streams are managed under special regulations called Delayed Harvest," said John Lee Thomson, Wildlife Resources Division trout stocking coordinator. "The 'DH' streams have special catch-and-release regulations from November 1-May 14, and are stocked monthly by WRD and our partner, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This combination of stocking and catch/release allows for good trout catch rates and high angler satisfaction."

The five trout streams managed under delayed harvest regulations are:

• Toccoa River located on U.S. Forest Service land upstream of Lake Blue Ridge in Fannin County (from 0.4 miles above Shallowford Bridge to 450 feet above the Sandy Bottom Canoe Access).
  
• Amicalola Creek on the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area (from Steele Bridge Road downstream to Georgia Hwy. 53).
  
• Smith Creek downstream of Unicoi Lake (Unicoi State Park).
  
• Chattahoochee River in Atlanta (Sope Creek, downstream of Johnson Ferry Road, downstream to the Hwy 41 bridge).
  
• A portion of the Chattooga River (from Ga. Hwy. 28 upstream to the mouth of Reed Creek) on U.S. Forest Service land bordering South Carolina.

"Remember, during delayed harvest, anglers on these five streams also are restricted to artificial lures with one single hook," Thomson adds. "When May 15rolls around, the general regulations to designated trout water apply."

In addition to the excellent fall fishing opportunities that these delayed harvest streams provide, other Georgia streams offer ample year-round trout fishing. These streams are:

• Noontootla Creek Watershed: This watershed offers high-quality, year-round fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout, with many of its tributaries offering a chance at a wild brook trout (a real plus since most other brook trout waters are closed to fishing after Oct. 31). Both Noontootla and its tributaries are managed under an artificial lure only regulation and have a 16" minimum size limit in order to "recycle" the 8"-12" trout that make up most of the population.
  
• Dukes Creek: This stream, located on the Smithgall Woods-Dukes Creek Conservation Area, offers year-round trout fishing by reservation (706-878-3087). All fish caught here must be released immediately and anglers can only use artificial lures with barbless hooks. The stream offers a great chance at a trout over 20 inches, so bring your camera for a quick shot before release. Best time to fish is after a rain muddies the water.
  
• Chattahoochee River: For good trout fishing close to metro Atlanta, the Chattahoochee River downstream of Buford Dam offers family-friendly, year-round fishing for stocked rainbow and wild brown trout. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area parks offer good bank, wading and boating opportunities. The river will be stocked through the fall months to keep angler catches high. Year-round harvest is legal from Buford Dam to Sope Creek. Anglers should note that there is an artificial lure only section between Ga. Hwy 20 and the Medlock Bridge Boat Ramp. Best fishing is at low flow when the river is clear to slightly stained.
  
  
• Some additional notable year-round trout streams include the Toccoa River downstream of Lake Blue Ridge, Tallulah River and the Chattooga River.

Anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license as well as a trout license to fish for these beauties. By purchasing a license as well as fishing equipment and related items, you and your fellow anglers have helped fund sport fish restoration programs for years, thanks to the Sport Fish Restoration Act. This Act allows funds accumulated from a federal excise tax on fishing equipment and related items to be directed to activities that benefit recreational anglers. A portion of these funds is provided to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources based on several factors, including the number of paid sporting licenses. Sport Fish funds make the following activities possible: managing sport fish populations, raising freshwater fish in hatcheries and stocking them in public waters, maintaining and operating public fishing areas and building boat ramps and fishing piers, and much more!

Where can you get a fishing license? Buy it online or find a list of retail license vendors at www.georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes or buy it by phone at 1-800-366-2661.

For free Georgia trout stream maps, trout fishing tips and other trout fishing information, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout .

Dukes Creek Delight!

Now, this is what it's all about.  Recently, Barbara and Ricky Ozmar joined our local Foothills Chapter of Trout Unlimited and have, literally, jumped in with both feet.  They've volunteered for a stream work project on Panther Creek, tied flies with Ron Thomas at the shop and Ricky has put in his application for Georgia Trout Camp this summer.

This past Saturday they stopped in the shop on their way to fish Dukes Creek.  Unicoi guide Kenneth Comeaux offered to meet Ricky at Dukes Creek and give him some pointers on how to fish it.  Even though Comeaux had to leave after a couple of hours, it seems his advice was well received.

 

Ricky was able to get back on the creek the following day (Sunday) and fish it all on his own.  This great brown trout was the result.  You think we've "hooked" another one?  I think maybe we have. Congratulations Ricky and many thanks to Kenneth Comeaux for paying it forward.

Size Matters!

Don't you just hate it when you ask someone to do you a favor and they do it so well you just never want to ever try it again in fear you'll never do it as well as they did?  So this past Friday I got in touch with Landon Williams and simply asked if he would test a new landing net.  It's call The Measure Net and I had been contacted by Jeff Abel, the owner of the company, and asked if I would accept one to try as an enticement to consider stocking in the store.  Many of you know that I've been hobbled somewhat for almost two months as my stupid broken leg heals so there was no way I was going to get anywhere close to a stream with it, much less land a fish.  So, who fishes more than anyone I know?  Landon, the guy who's getting a degree in fly fishing from North Georgia College.

On Saturday morning, I met Landon at Smithgall to pass of the Measure Net.  The sample I had received was a medium trout net.  His first reaction, "Well, you know, size does matter."  Landon, it will measure up to a 24" fish!  Just give it a try and let me know how well it performs.  As if to make a point, the following photos are of the fish Landon put in the net that day:

 To be honest, the medium is not a Dukes Creek net.  He would have been much more matched up with a large.  He did double check the measuring device in the net against a tape measure and it worked perfectly, even with the 23 incher below.

I was so impressed with the quality of the nets that I've purchased a "Guide" model for stripers.  They are very solid and the net is easily replaced when needed by simply un-zipping a zipper on it.  Very well thought out and reasonably priced.  The medium with nylon net retails for $27.


The large trout net retails for $35 with a nylon net.  My big Guide Net will measure up to a 40" fish and retails for $81.  ARGH, ARGH, ARGH!!!!

We hope to have a shipment in within the next couple of weeks.

Dukes Creek Report 6/5/11

Reported by Bryan Crumpler

There is just something special about the feeling an angler gets when he pulls into the Dukes Creek access of Smithgall Woods. Maybe its because it is a rarity for me to be able to fish this little slice of heaven since I am a landlocked Alabamian, but last Sunday I got the chance to head that way on a lovely morning with little fishing competition.  As I rigged up my rod with the special attention to detail that is required to succeed at Dukes, I pondered my fly choice. The thought had crossed my mind that perhaps due to the warmer weather there could be chance that I could fool some willing participants on a hopper pattern, and what a thrill to fish terrestrials on a small stream to rising fish!  Soon after preparations were complete, I made my way to the bottom of section 1 and immediately began to get into 4”- 6” wild rainbows.  The coloration on these stream born fish is beautiful and a welcome sight for eyes that have seen a large proportion of stocker rainbows with their ubiquitous presence in most North Georgia streams and rivers. A methodical dissecting of each run and riffle lead me upstream inch by inch until I offered up the hopper/dropper to a nice little run that meandered by a submerged log against a cutbank. Almost as soon as the hopper struck the water's glassy surface a good brown announced his presence and hammered the fly, leading to brief but thrilling acrobatic upstream run.

Several more vividly colored small rainbows made their way to hand as I continued upstream and each one was a pleasure to observe as they inspected the hopper before ultimately falling to the offering.  One nice rainbow briefly teased the end of my line before ultimately coming off, which was a repeatedly occurring event on this day, but I didn’t mind because it was all great to experience on a beautiful stream on a beautiful day, and on a hopper nonetheless. 

After a small break to retie and re-strategize I set out upstream again. I quickly got back into more small bows again before making my way to a nice looking deep run with some fast water beating down into it creating a scene of crisply folded current and foamy water. Several casts yielded more of the previously noted fish, but I just knew there had to be a larger specimen lurking in the darkness of the run.  The tumultuous current kept swallowing my now smaller hopper and taking it down to the depths of the run. Instead of pulling it out, I tried a few drifts with a tight line highstick technique to let the bead head prince dropper bump the bottom. The line became tight and a much larger fish appeared in the shallows of the run.  To my surprise, he was attached to my line! After a brief staredown between him and myself (I honestly don’t think he realized he was hooked), he fully grasped my incompetence and fragility and took line screaming off my reel as he torched his way downstream.  A frantic and acrobatic man vs. beast battle ensued culminating with the beast relinquishing power to my net, just in time for me to slack line and scoop as he flopped for one last moment of glory, and my barbless fly was hurled upwards as he mocked me and swam away back to his lair.  Proof?  I have none. Sense of accomplishment for “landing” a good Dukes fish in the “16- “18  range, I have!  You’ll have to take my word for it!

Overall it was a great time to be in the water, and what a place to experience. It is getting hot up that way with the water temp reading 62 by mid morning, so get on up there if you want to have some luck. Hoppers and princes along with a peach Y2K were the ticket for me. Tight Lines!

Dukes 3/5 & 3/6

Chad Peters and I decided to head over to Dukes on Saturday to see if we could find some happy trout. With all of the rain, we knew that the water would have some stain and we were hoping the big fish would come out to play. We fished the afternoon session on section one. When we first stepped in the water we were into fish, but the bite slowed down as the day went on. We managed to bring eight fish to the net with the largest one being 20 inches. All of our fish we caught came on Pat's Rubberlegs, Hot Pink San Juan Worms, and Peach Eggs. The fish were hugging the bottom and it took large amounts of weight to get down to them. I did manage to pick this guy up on the rubberlegs:

With more rain blowing in, I decided that I would try my luck again on Sunday. It rained all night and the river was really high which made the fishing rather tough. I did manage to catch fish in the eddies and in the slow water (which was hard to find). When I found some slower water the fish seemed to be stacked up, hiding from the current. The flies of choice were still the rubberlegs and san juan worms. I did manage to catch this guy in the rough water, I was as suprised to see him as he was to see me:

Dukes is fishing really well right now and this transition from winter to spring can produce some really nice fish. Tight Lines!

Jake Darling



What Do Fly Fishing Guides Do On Their Day Off?

Jake Darling headed over to Dukes Creek yesterday and dropped us a quickie report, proving what we've always said about how well Georgia streams can fish in the winter:

Fished at dukes on Sunday and boy was it good! The fish were biting really well in the morning but it died off around lunch. I managed to catch a dozen fish. Of these fish, seven of them were over 20 inches and the smallest of the day was a 15-incher. Five of my biggest fish came in seven casts out of one hole. The fish were taking both small and large Kaufman Stones, early brown stoneflies, and small diamond midges.


Sounds like a good time to head over to Dukes if you can get a slot on the stream.

Just Another Ho-Hum Day at Dukes Creek

Our friend Mark Whitney fished Dukes this past Sunday and reminds us why we like to fish after a good rainfall:

I must have woken up a dozen times during all the rain on Saturday night.  Foremost in my mind was my reservation at Dukes Creek for the next morning.  I get to fish Dukes a lot and I go whether it’s rain or shine.  Conventional wisdom is that Dukes is best in the rain, so imagine my disappointment early Sunday morning when the rain was nowhere to be seen.  No matter!  It had rained about 3 inches so I figured there was plenty of water still in the creek and if I got lucky, there’d be plenty of color too.  I left early to make the grueling 12 minute ride to Smithgall Woods, hoping to beat the urban hordes that were sure to be barreling out of Atlanta beating a steady path to my favorite piece of water.  When I crossed the Chattahoochee at 75 Alternate my heart lept at the sight of muddy rushing water.  I knew this to be good news!

Sure enough, when I got to Smithgall at 6:55, there was already someone heading to the office to check in.  I moseyed in and made some polite conversation while I got signed in and then headed to the parking lot with my game plan already formulating in my tiny brain.  I got set up with a #10 pink San Juan Worm with a #18 rainbow warrior trailing about 14 inches behind and decided to try the culvert hole while I waited on the van to leave.  My plan was to start at the bottom of Section 4 and work my way back toward the parking lot.  A plan that was soon to be foiled.

When I got to the culvert hole I honestly thought I may have underestimated the amount of water that had fallen overnight because there was a whole lot more running in the creek than I expected.  And boy did it have color!  I crossed the creek on the road and came down to fish from the far side.  I added another couple of Dinsmores to my line,  moved my indicator to the top of the leader, held my breath, said a short prayer and flung that joker (no I don’t cast well) up to the culvert opening, luckily getting it in the seam I was looking at.  I didn’t have to worry about drag free because the water was moving faster than the roar it was making.  With only 4 No. 1 Dinsmores on, my flies never saw bottom even though they were 2/3s of the way through the culvert hole.

None of that seemed to matter.  My indicator jogged right, I set the hook and on my first cast of the morning…Fish ON!!!  Suddenly, I had an audience as a minivan coming down the road stopped to see what I had snagged in the creek.  That fish put up a good fight, but I prevailed with my first fish of the morning….. a 15” rainbow resting comfortably in the bottom of my net.  I caught 2 more rainbows in the next 4 casts and then something grabbed hold on my next cast and broke me off.  It was then I found out I left all my flies in the parking lot.  I checked my watch and it was 7:47 AM.  The van wasn’t even warming up in the parking lot yet and I had 3 fish to the net.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

I walked back to the parking lot, picked up my fly box and headed back to the culvert where I caught 2 more fish and decided I was just going to stay on Section 1.  To make a long story short, I landed 9, lost 6 including 3 that broke me off and missed a couple more.  All but 2 of those fish took the rainbow warrior and all of them put up good fights, many giving aerobatic displays.  The first fish was my longest for the day though I had one about 17” go airborne twice before breaking me off on a root in a hole next to the bank at the Swimming Hole.

I was the only one on Section 1 Sunday morning.  I finished fishing at the cable crossing at exactly 11:30 AM.  It was great day of fishing without a drop of rain in the sky.  Once again, Dukes proved to me to be the best water within a 15 minute drive from the house.  I hate it for all the folks who had reservations but didn’t come because of all the rain the night before.  Next time, forget the weather and enjoy one of the streams that makes north Georgia a year-round flyfishing mecca.  Hope to see you on the water some time.

A "Darling" Day at Dukes

Wednesday Guide Report by Jake Darling

It's spring and every place in north Georgia is fishing well but Dukes Creek has been a lot of fun lately. Bob and Tom Fleenor were staying at Smithgall Woods this week and asked that I guide them on Dukes on Wednesday. I met them at the Smithgall Cottage (don't we all wish we had a little mountain cottage like this one!) and, while we could have fished that upper section, I decided to take them down to section 3... and am I glad we did. We brought a dozen or more fish to the net before lunch, one of which was a beautiful 22 inch rainbow. This fish tried every trick in the book to get away but after what seemed like a 30 minute fight we managed to land her. To say the least, Tom and I were both excited because this is a trophy regardless of where you fish and a real challenge to catch on Dukes Creek.

After lunch, we hit section 1 near the Visitor Center. When we stepped into the river, I told Tom that something exciting was about to happen because I had left my camera in the truck after we ate. At least, that's the way it usually works. Sure enough, Tom made one cast and it was, "Fish on". After a good job of fighting the fish, Tom had an 18" rainbow in his hands and I had no camera. We agreed that I would testify that he had caught the fish, even though I am a charter member of the Liars Club.

We released the rainbow and two casts later he was tied into another fish. This one did nothing but hug the bottom and I told Tom that it was acting like a big brown. Then we caught a glimpse of him and knew for sure that it was a healthy Dukes Creek brown. As he was fighting the fish, we decided that this fish would be worthy of a picture if we could land it so I took off in a sprint to the truck. It seemed like a 5K race to the parking lot and back but I returned with the camera, took the picture and we let old brownie slide back into the creek. He was in great shape. I, on the other hand, spent the next 30 minutes trying to catch my breath. It was a great day on the water with some great guys. The fishing and the memories made were as good as it gets.

Best Georgia Trout Fishing Now!

There isn't a trout angler in Georgia who isn't at least a little frustrated over the high water conditions found on most of our year round streams this past fall and even now as we approach 2010. Since we made a covenant pact to never complain about the rain ever again after the past several years of drought, we'll just tell you where the best fishing still can be found and, looking at the weather forecast, may remain so for the next week or so.

First, we want to unabashedly tell you that our private waters at Nacoochee Bend and Mountaintown Creek are as hot as a firecracker at the moment. We're not only catching fish, we're catching some big fish at these venues. Now, don't ask us how they survived the past two summers, but Nacoochee Bend has given up some huge rainbows in the 2 foot range recently. Another interesting twist at Nacoochee Bend can be found in the mill pond just upstream of the Nora Mill dam. In this slack water, which is too deep to wade, there are some big, dumb fish. It's perfect for pulling big streamers through but only if you can make long roll casts from the bank with big flies. The reward is big fish. If you're comfortable with this kind of fishing, you should give it a try. And, since we've had such positive repsonse to our $90.00 half day, $140.00 full day Nacoochee Bend offerings, we've decided to continue it for a little longer. Remember, you don't have to purchase a trip and take it right away. If you purchase one of these gift certificates, you may make the trip any time you like.

Now, on to the public waters which are fishing well. Let's see, the Chattooga is too high, the Toccoa DH is too high, the Toccoa tailwater is pumping like crazy and the Chattahoochee below Buford Dam is unfishable most of the time lately. So where are the best streams? Smith Creek DH and Dukes Creek at Smithgall Woods. For Smith Creek, yes, it's been getting a good bit of pressure over the holidays but no one is complaining about the quality of the fishing and the size of the fish. Smith Creek is more fun to fish right now than it has been since it was first designated a Delayed Harvest stream. There are plenty of fish, both rainbows and browns, in the 12" to 16" range. Put plenty of split shot on and dredge the pools and runs for a day of fun. Don't forget to check with us to see which flies are working up there. This past weekend it was flame red San Juan worms, Rainbow Prince, Purple Streak Flies and orange soft hackles.

Dukes Creek has also been fishing well this past week. The favorite rigs have been something big like a #8 Whitlock's Helgrammite with a soft hackle or a black Zebra Midge dropper. Remember, the water may be up on Dukes but it's also very clear so you'll have to be looking for fish as you approach the pools. Again, as at Smith and Nacoochee Bend, get your fly down in front of the fish. In this cold weather, the trout won't be likely to move very far to look at your fly. Hit them on the nose for the best shot at success.

A couple of other suggestions for a half or full day of fishing. The public section of the Soque River. This time of year, you won't find many bait fishermen there but you will find some real hogs in there. Some of our guides have recently landed browns in the 20" plus range up there. Easy access, no check-in, big fish. And finally we want to recommend the upper Tallulah River near Tate City. There are miles of water here and not many anglers this time of year. Some of the most fun winter fishing we've had has been on this small river in the winter. We're not sure if it's the fishing or just the environment that attracts us to the Tallulah. This isn't the same stream that is wall to wall campers and worm fishermen during the summer. It's plunge pool after plunge pool of crystal clear water where you can spot a nine inch trout finning at the bottom of a twelve foot deep hole. Bring your long leaders, your split shot and your polarized glasses and give it a try.

New Fall & Winter Store Hours in Helen

With Daylight Savings Time coming to an end this weekend (Nov. 1st), our shop in Helen will be changing our hours of operation for the remainder of the Fall and Winter season. The hours of operation in Helen will also reflect the changes in operational hours at Smithgall Woods for fishing at Dukes Creek. Here are the new schedules:

HELEN STORE HOURS

M,Tu,Th,F: 9am - 5pm

W,Sa,Su: 8am - 5pm

DUKES CREEK WINTER SHUTTLE SCHEDULE

8:30am , 11:30am , 4:30pm

Cinco de Mayo @ Dukes Creek

Unicoi guide Jake Darling had a couple of clients on Dukes Creek Section One yesterday and the fish were very active. Here's his report:

"The water was up about a foot and had a dark green stain to it. My clients were not used to big fish on a small stream and had some difficulty landing them but the bite was definitely on. We hooked and lost around 20 nice rainbows. One of my anglers hooked a real pig of a rainbow, fought it for about 5 minutes and it broke off right at the net. Just all part of paying your dues to the Duke! Nothing's easy there but those big fish are sick!

"Flies that were working were a size 18 brown or baetis micro mayfly and size 16 micro stones dropped off of something big like a size 8 Whitlocks Hellgrammite, or the new rubberlegs, and even a squirrel nymph. Fish were taking both the small flies and the big flies. even caught one 4 inch wild trout on a size 8 rubberlegs. That joker must have been extra hungry because the fly was about half his size.

"When fishing these rigs it took a lot of split shot to get the flies down, usually around 3 or 4 BB size split shot to hit the bottom. The flies had to be ticking along the bottom to get any strikes. So make sure you have your strike indicator up high when fishing in these conditions. No matter how much weight you have on it, if your strike indicator is only 4ft up from your flies then the chances are you aren't getting down to the bottom.

"Dukes Creek is fishing as good right now as I've seen it in a while. And there seem to always be some openings available and no-shows every day they fish. If you haven't fished Dukes Creek in a while, now is the time!"

Dukes Creek in the Rain

Sunday after church, with high anticipation because of the rain, I met up with "The Dredger" who was fishing Section 1 on Dukes Creek. It turns out the fishing had been slower than expected that morning because the water was too muddy (a rare occurrence on Dukes but we did get a lot of rain this weekend). He had only landed a couple of smaller fish but had broken off two big ones that morning. By the time I got there, Section 1 was beginning to clear just a little but at least 5 other anglers were staking out different stretches of it so we decided to go down to the middle of Section 4 and fish up 3. Unfortunately, the water didn't begin to clear at all down low until around 3 PM so the slow fishing continued there also. We did manage to catch about 15 fish between us in the four hours we fished and most of them were good solid fish with a couple of twenty inchers, a couple of 17's and 15's. All rainbows this trip. Off-color water is usually brown trout time but today it just didn't happen. A couple of fish were caught on San Juan Worms and one on a Power Egg but everything else was on big ugly black leech patterns (with more split shot than should be legal). In one hole, I counted 9 flies lost on the bottom between the two of us as we played tag-team while tying on new rigs. It was fun though. High sticking those heavily weighted flies just a few feet from where we were standing. Catching fish in the same run the other guy just fished with no luck (both of us). And I must say that the Simms Vibram soled boots performed great in that heavy water. Sunday afternoon was beautiful after it stopped raining. And the catching was just good enough to bring lots of laughter, hootin' and hollerin'.